Former Clevelander (and U of Akron grad) (and "Community" co-star) Yvette Nicole Brown notes that " I will be a guest co-host on 'The View' TOMORROW (Thursday, July 1st)! :) If you get a chance, please tune in or TiVo! Thanks!"

Amy Locane has been charged with vehicular manslaughter. Shewas an up-and-comer during the '90s, when she was on the original "Melrose Place" and her movies included "School Ties," the weird Dennis Hopper film "Carried Away," "Airheads," "Blue Sky" and the John Waters classic "Cry-Baby." In "Cry-Baby," her singing was done by Akron's own Rachel Sweet, but she still gave a memorable performance. Like here:

On Wednesday, September 8, Cycle 15 of the hit reality series AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) kicks-off the 2010-2011 season, followed by the series premiere of new drama HELLCATS (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET). HELLCATS is a pumped-up drama about a young pre-law student (Aly Michalka, “Bandslam”) whose world is turned upside-down when she loses her scholarship and has to join the college’s competitive cheerleading squad. This fun, energetic series is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama, politics and pressure surrounding the football program at a Southern university. Ashley Tisdale (“High School Musical”) also stars as a young woman who is totally committed to the cheerleading squad to realize her dreams.

Find the saboteur! From CBS: "For the first time in the history of the series, one contestant will not be playing to win the half million dollar prize. Instead, this Houseguest will play the role of the Big Brother Saboteur, whose sole mission will be to disrupt the lives of their fellow Houseguests."

I went into the vault for a 1995 interview I did with King, when he was marking his 10th anniversary on CNN. I think it sums up a lot of his philosophy -- and his overly laid-back approach. When it came time to put together a list of his 10 favorite CNN telecasts, he had someone else do it. But it is also a reminder of the clout he had.

I am feeling less worked up for the simple reason that I fell off the "Office" bus this past season. The show felt ever less humorous, more convoluted, and simply tired. Potentially interesting turns, such as the sale of Dunder Mifflin, didn't really pay off. It was just too much of an effort to watch, save when critical obligation made me do so. The best moment I saw in the latter half of the season may have been one of the last -- when the show held out the possibility that Holly (the splendid Amy Ryan) could return.

from CBS: A new season of BIG BROTHER returns this summer with an expanded multi-platform presence on-air (CBS Television), online (RealNetworks, a redesigned CBS.com, the CBS Audience Network and Twitter), on the phone (CBS Mobile) and on cable (SHOWTIME).

CBS's BIG BROTHER multi-platform initiative includes the following elements:

Acorn Media U.S. is proud to announce a select partnership with Bill Moyers and his production company, Public Affairs Television, to bring many of his acclaimed programs to DVD under the Athena documentary line. Bill Moyers is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 Emmys and a Lifetime Peabody Award among his accolades. He recently retired his acclaimed weekly series on PBS, Bill Moyers Journal, but he and Public Affairs Television will continue to produce new specials and miniseries for distribution.

The songwriting team of Gary Garcia and Jerry Buckner, who wrote the 1982 hit “Pac Man Fever” as well as the theme song to “WKRP in Cincinnati,” have committed their talents to saving a national icon -- The All American Soap Box Derby. The derby, based in Akron, Ohio, has been an American institution since 1936, but has recently encountered financial difficulties. Buckner and Garcia grew up in Akron.

On the right is Sabrina, the queen of cats -- or at least the queen of our cats. She died today at the age of 16. Oliver, on the left, is the last of our cats. He is quiet today, clearly missing Sabrina. And Connie and I have been teary off and on all day.

To provide some perspective on the anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, and those of other celebrities, let me reprise a post I wrote a year ago:

The Hawaiian island of Oahu has the qualities of paradise. Beautiful sky, sun, beaches. It has rained here, and once hard, but none of those storms has lasted more than a few minutes. We have sat outside through most of them. It is indeed stunning to wake up each morning and look outside at the blue water, or at Diamond Head seeming so close through the clear, clean air.

One of the most beautiful and talented stars to emerge from the studio era in the 1950s, Kim Novak has made an indelible mark on the cinema, and in the hearts of film fans all over the world. On August 3, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) unveils The Kim Novak Collection, featuring five of Novak's best-known films, fully restored and remastered, including two new to DVD. The must-have collection includes Jeanne Eagels with Jeff Chandler and Middle of the Night with Fredric March (each making their DVD debuts), as well as the Novak classics Picnic with William Holden and Rosalind Russell; Pal Joey with Frank Sinatra and Rita Hayworth; and Bell Book and Candle with James Stewart and Jack Lemmon. The Kim Novak Collection also features rare archival photographs of Kim Novak on set and at work on her most popular films as she shares her personal stories in newly recorded intimate conversations with author Stephen Rebello. Rediscover Miss Novak: one of the most beautiful and talented actresses to ever grace the screen. The Kim Novak Film Collection will be available as a three-disc set for $39.95 SRP.

1980s pop singing sensations Debbie Gibson and Tiffany will bury their pop princess rivalry to co-star in the new ripped-from-the-headlines Syfy Saturday Original Movie, Mega Python Vs Gatoroid, which will go into production later this month for a scheduled 2011 release.

Are you willing to be a human target? Well just leave it to Chance! Based on the popular DC Comics comic book series and graphic novels, FOX’s full-throttle drama Human Target, from Warner Bros. Television, centers on Christopher Chance (Mark Valley – Fringe, Boston Legal), a unique private contractor/bodyguard hired to protect his clients from danger at all costs. Warner Home Video (WHV) is releasing Human Target: The Complete First Season on DVD and Blu-ray September 21, 2010 for SRP $39.98/ $49.99. . . .

That marathon Wimbledon set is finally over, with John Isner finally winning the fifth set over Nicholas Mahut, 70-68. I have never heard of either of those guys before. But this is epic. Reminds me of "Tin Cup," with Roy McAvoy shooting a 12 -- but an incredibly memorable 12. As the movie says: "It was the greatest 12 of all time. No one's going to remember the Open 10 years from now, who won...but they'll remember your 12! My, God, Roy, it was...Well, it's immortal!"

I have a review of "Grown Ups" here. I saw it in a packed theater whose audience seemed to enjoy it a great deal. As my review indicates, I thought it was a bad movie in many ways, but still laughed. That's the art of Adam Sandler; his movies don't stand up to thoughtful analysis, but you still find yourself laughing. I mean, I still pause for scenes in "Happy Gilmore."

If nothing else, make sure to watch the last 20 seconds. You will see there what happened when I tried to do a report leaning back in an inflatable chair. The result is a singularly graceful act. For the second attempt, which is at the beginning of the video, I had the good sense to sit forward in the chair.

Dr. Jill Biden, wife of United States Vice President Joe Biden, will make a special guest appearance on Lifetime’s original series Army Wives. As part of Dr. Biden’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the service and sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and their families, she will appear as herself in an episode of the show airing Sunday, August 15, 2010, at 10:00pm ET/PT.

Emmy® winner Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) stars as Frankie Heck, an exhausted wife and mother in the warm and witty, new television comedy The Middle, the first season of which will be released on DVD by Warner Home Video (WHV) on August 31, 2010. Titled The Middle: The Complete First Season, this DVD collection will feature 24 half-hour episodes from the show’s debut season plus nearly 30 minutes of never-before-seen bonus material. The release will retail for $44.98 SRP.

Prize-winning journalist Kathleen Parker and former New York governor Eliot Spitzer will co-host a spirited, nightly roundtable discussion program on CNN/U.S., it was announced today by Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. The new program, set to debut this fall, will air weeknights at 8pm Eastern time.

Bored to Death: The Complete First Season will be released on September 21, 2010 by HBO Home Entertainment, just before the much anticipated premiere of the new season on HBO. The 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray sets contain entertaining bonus features including a guided tour of the New York sets by Jonathan Ames and Jason Schwartzman, a “Making of” piece and audio commentaries, all for the suggested retail price of $39.98 and $49.99 respectively.

Grammy Award-winning icons JAY-Z and EMINEM rock the New York City skyline when they perform together on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater building on LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, taped Monday, June 21 to be broadcast Friday, June 25 (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

In discussing the House of Heldenfels' recent vacation, I neglected to mention that I took along the iPod and its playlists, some self-made, some Genius-formatted. I did more reading than listening, but there were times when the playlists seemed especially fine for a summer day. Some examples are after the jump.

The Lower Great Lakes Chapter of NATAS, which includes Northeast Ohio, has announced its latest Emmy winners. You can find the list here. If you want to compare the winners to the nominees, the nominee list is here.

Redbox, the popular bright red fully-automated DVD rental kiosk, announces the opening of five new locations at Acme in Akron: 1525 Plaza Dr., 3235 Manchester Rd., 2147 East Ave., 2420 Wedgewood Dr. and 3979 Medina Rd. #18. Redbox delivers convenient, affordable access to new release DVDs and catalog titles. With a rent and return anywhere™ policy, consumers can now rent DVDs from the redbox® kiosks at Acme in Akron and return it to any of the more than 21,000 redbox locations nationwide.

I get sad just at seeing a show by "Peter & Paul" (Dec. 10, by the way.) Others include Kathy Griffin, Louis CK, Suzanne Vega, Paul Anka, David Sedaris. Announcement after the jump. Sorry about the odd lineage; that's the way it pasted.

Interesting that they are dropping the minimum age to compete. An attempt to get a younger audience as well as a younger talent pool? And how will that affect the voting? Anyway, from Fox:

Once again, aspiring singers will have the incredible opportunity to audition in cities across the country to become the next AMERICAN IDOL as the No. 1 show on television begins auditions for its milestone 10th season on Saturday, July 17 in Nashville, TN. The search for the next singing superstar will continue in Milwaukee, WI, on Wednesday, July 21; New Orleans, LA, on Monday, July 26; East Rutherford, NJ, on Tuesday, Aug. 3; Austin, TX, on Wednesday, Aug. 11; and San Francisco, CA, on Thursday, Aug. 19.

Television's deliciously intoxicating and emotional new hit series THE GOOD WIFE debuts on DVD with all 23 episodes from the first season on September 14 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment.

The six-disc set takes viewers even deeper into the captivating world of Alicia Florrick, the scorned wife of an embarrassed politician whose very public sex and political corruption scandals land him in jail. The centerpiece of the bonus features is "The Education of Alicia Florrick: Making Season One," a multichapter look at the intricacies of the series from the pilot through production, which includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the show's cast, creators, director and executive producer. The DVD also includes deleted scenes, episode commentaries and a look at recent public scandals and how they inform the writing on the show.

When the unimaginable transpires on screen, you know Fringe creators J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (the team behind Star Trek, Mission: Impossible III and Alias) are behind it. Witness as the impossible becomes possible and worlds literally collide when Warner Home Video releases the hit TV series Fringe: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray™ and DVD on September 14, 2010 for $59.98/ $69.97.

The cast and crew of “25 Hill,” the Soap Box Derby movie written and directed by Corbin Bernsen, will return to Akron in mid-July to film the screenplay’s crucial race scenes as well as scene-setter shots of the Akron area. Many extras will be needed during the 10-day shoot, Bernsen said. . . .

Get a clue and crack the case with the release of The Mentalist: The Complete Second Season on DVD September 21, 2010 from Warner Home Video. Starring Simon Baker (nominated for lead actor Emmy® and Golden Globe® Awards in 2009 and 2010, respectively, for his role as Patrick Jane), Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman and Amanda Righetti, The Mentalist will have fans “dying” to own the hit series that balances nimble humor with dark thrills. In addition to all 23 one-hour episodes, this five-disc collector’s set contains over an hour and half of never-before-seen extras, including deleted scenes; the “Mentalism: A Subliminal Art” featurette, providing an inside look on how mentalists really work; and “Art of the Mentalist,” with insights from executive producer/director Chris Long on making an episode.

Greenberg unites Ben Stiller (Meet the Fockers, Tropic Thunder) with Academy Award®-nominated writer and director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) to tell the funny and moving tale of Roger Greenberg. Featuring one of the best performances of his career, Ben Stiller stars as Greenberg – single, fortyish and at a crossroads in his life. Also starring Jennifer Jason Leigh (Margot at the Wedding, The Anniversary Party), Rhys Ifans (Nanny McPhee Returns, Notting Hill) and Greta Gerwig (Nights and Weekends), Greenberg proves that mid-life may just be the perfect time to finally come of age and embrace the life you never planned on. A film with “a soul, a heart and a sense of humor” (Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com), Greenberg is available on Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD on July 13, 2010 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

A Prophet, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, will be released on Blu-ray™ and DVD on August 3, 2010 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Directed by Jacques Audiard (The Beat That My Heart Skipped), this Sony Pictures Classics film will be available for an SLP of $38.96 for Blu-ray and $27.96 for DVD. Special features on both versions will include deleted scenes, rehearsal footage, screen tests and a commentary with Director Jacques Audiard, Actor Tahar Rahim and co-Screenwriter Thomas Bidegain.

Playing cat and mouse for years, an unlikely partnership is formed between a con artist and an FBI agent in USA's hit original series, "White Collar." Matt Bomer plays Neal Caffrey, a charming criminal mastermind, who is finally caught by his nemesis, FBI Agent Peter Burke played by Tim DeKay. When Neal escapes from a maximum-security prison to find his long-lost love, Peter nabs him once again. Rather than returning to jail, Neal suggests an alternate plan: he'll provide his criminal expertise to assist the Federal Agents in catching other elusive criminals. Initially wary, Peter quickly finds that Neal provides insight and intuition that can't be found on the right side of the law. "White Collar" also stars Tiffani Thiessen and Willie Garson and Natalie Morales.

"White Collar" Season One Blu-ray Disc and DVD will arrive in stores on Tuesday, July 13 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Season Two premieres on USA Network at 9pm/8pm Central.

Follow the trail to exclusive extras including cast and writer commentary, a gag reel, deleted scenes and 3 behind the scenes featurettes, "White Collar" Season One will be available as a three-disc Blu-ray set and four-disc DVD set for the suggested retail prices of $69.99 U.S. / $89.99 Canada and $49.98 U.S. / $69.98 Canada respectively.

Academy Award-winner Holly Hunter returns for the explosive third and final season as hard-drinking Detective Grace Hanadarko, the role that earned her Golden Globe, Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, when "Saving Grace" The Final Season debuts on DVD July 13 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment timed to the June 21 heart-stopping series finale on TNT.

A top-notch forceful investigator whose wild personal life translates into a no-holds barred approach to her work, the fiery Oklahoma City police detective is back to tackle her biggest investigation yet... her own emotional crisis. With the guidance of an unconventional "last chance" angel, the cynical and fast-living Grace works to save herself from her wild ways and finally find peace and redemption.

Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast including Bailey Chase, Leon Rippy, Laura San Giacomo, Kenny Johnson, Bokeem Woodbine, Gregory Cruz, Dylan Minnette and Lorraine Toussaint, the acclaimed TNT series explores the power of second chances and how coping with life can be hell on Earth. Arriving as a five-disc set featuring 19 episodes, "Saving Grace" The Final Season DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $49.98 U.S. / $59.98 Canada.

Relive the beginning of the incredible journey with the "Saving Grace" Seasons 1 & 2 DVD Set now available from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Containing every episode from the first and second seasons, the set be available for the suggested retail price of $39.98 U.S.

Any post for the next several days will be sporadic at best, since I am taking a vacation. I do have a couple of things planned for the paper, including a mailbag on Thursday and a look at Denis Leary, and I may post links here. If not, you will still be able to find them at Ohio.com. And, over there, you can see today's DVD column as well as a chat with Wendie Malick about "Hot in Cleveland." And I will probably drop the occasional Twitter/Facebook note.

As for vacation, so far it has been very restful, plenty of sleep, watching bits of World Cup soccer. Also have seized the opportunity to catch up on some things. Have (finally) watched the first "Twilight" movie, and will get to "New Moon," in preparation for the third film. Have also started reading Stieg Larsson. "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was a bit of a slog at first -- and runs almost 650 pages -- and the plot twists were less revelatory than they might have been because I have seen the Swedish film from it. But it became more effective as it went along, and Lisbeth Salander is a great character. (Mikael Blomkvist, not so much.) I am now more than ready for "The Girl Who Played With Fire."

From WKSU: Multiple Grammy Award-winner Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder join Garrison Keillor and company onstage for a live broadcast of the public radio favorite A Prairie Home Companion at Blossom Music Center on Saturday, June 19. The show begins with an audience warm-up at 5:45 p.m. and contains music, comedy and an original monologue from Keillor - all structured around the premise of an old-time radio show. Thanks to Live Nation's no ticket fee June, tickets for this performance can be purchased without added fees.

Emmy® and Golden Globe® winner Tom Selleck returns in his signature role as Police Chief Jesse Stone in the highly-rated sixth installment of the Jesse Stone franchise, Jesse Stone: No Remorse, debuting on DVD July 27 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Based upon characters created in Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone books, Jesse Stone: No Remorse will be available for $24.94 SRP.

From Fox: After thousands of auditions featuring some of the best dancers ever to try out, the judges of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE announced tonight that Season Seven will have 11 finalists instead of 10. The Top 11 finalists are Alexie Agdeppa, Billy Bell, Kent Boyd, Lauren Froderman, Ashley Galvan, Robert Roldan, Jose Ruiz, Cristina Santana, Melinda Sullivan, Adéchiké Torbert and Alex Wong.

International superstar and television icon David Hasselhoff has been announced as COMEDY CENTRAL’s next Roastee. The show is scheduled to tape this summer in Los Angeles. “The COMEDY CENTRAL Roast of David Hasselhoff" will air on Sunday, August 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

With New Directions’ journey to Sectionals now complete, are you mourning the end of GLEE’s first season? Now you can be a GLEEk all summer by catching encore episodes every Thursday (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) beginning tomorrow, June 10, on FOX and by visiting the all-new GLEE Superfan online experience exclusively at www.fox.com/glee.

Thousands of RUSH fans around the country will be streaming into movie theatres on Thursday, June 10th for screenings of the critically-acclaimed documentary RUSH: BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE. Cleveland fans have their choice of seeing the film at the Cedar Lee Theatre (2163 Lee Rd.) or the Capitol Theatre (1390 W. 65th St.).

Production has begun on "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure," a Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Emmy Award-winning director Michael Lembeck ("Tooth Fairy," "Santa Clause 2" and "Santa Clause 3."). Ashley Tisdale stars as the scene-stealing drama queen Sharpay Evans in the role she made so popular in the "High School Musical" TV movies and feature film. "Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure" is scheduled to premiere in 2011 on Disney Channel.

American Express announced today the launch of My Movie Pitch, a contest to bring one great movie idea to life as an independent short film that will debut at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. In the true spirit of great storytelling and independent cinema, film enthusiasts everywhere can visit www.amexfilm.com today to upload their 60-second, dream movie pitch in hopes of seeing their idea brought to life on the big screen.

A reminder of the great achievements of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden is captured in the HBO Sports special THE UCLA DYNASTY, a 2007 documentary that traces the incredible success of the UCLA men’s basketball program, which captured an astounding ten national titles during a 12-year run. The HBO2 service will air an encore presentation of the one-hour documentary on FRIDAY, JUNE 11 (7:30-8:30 p.m. ET/PT).

Starz Entertainment has acquired U.S. television rights to the next installment of the BBC’s audience sensation “Torchwood,” developed and produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Starz will debut the 10-episode series exclusively in the U.S., and BBC One will debut it in the U.K., both in summer, 2011. This is a co-production between Starz, BBC Cymru Wales and BBC Worldwide, and BBC Worldwide will distribute the show outside the U.S. The deal was jointly announced today by Starz, LLC, President and CEO Chris Albrecht and BBC Worldwide Productions EVP Jane Tranter.

Two vampire brothers – one good, one evil – are at war for 17-year-old Elena Gilbert’s soul and for the souls of her friends, family and all of the residents of Mystic Falls, Virginia, as Warner Home Video debuts The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season on DVD and Blu-ray August 31, 2010. Starring Nina Dobrev ("DeGrassi: The Next Generation"), Paul Wesley (“Fallen”), Ian Somerhalder (“Lost”), Steven R. McQueen, Katerina Graham, Sara Canning, Candice Accola, Zach Roerig, Kayla Ewell, Michael Trevino and Matt Davis, “The Vampire Diaries” DVD contains 22 episodes of the first season plus over 8 hours of bonus features, including four brand-new featurettes (Into Mystic Falls, When Vampires Don’t Suck!, A New Breed of Vampires and Vampires 101), unaired scenes, gag reel, webisodes and more. The release also includes a bonus downloadable audiobook of The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith, the first book in the bestselling series from HarperCollins that started it all. The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season is priced to own on DVD at $59.98 SRP and on Blu-ray at $69.97 SRP. . . .

Encore is hoping so. It will run all four of the previous "Karate Kid" movies -- three with Ralph Macchio, the fourth one with Hilary Swank; all with Pat Morita -- on Friday, the day the new one with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan opens. I am very fond of the first one, moderately entertained by the second and see no particular value in the third and fourth. The new, fifth one is pretty much a reworking of the first, but still entertaining.

The makeover series starts July 28. Says the network: The series is hosted by British fashion expert Louise Roe (pictured), who also starred in “Fashion Police: The 2009 Grammy Awards.” In each episode, Roe will use her expertise to transform one woman from the inside out to reveal a brand new woman. Each of the six episodes will feature a new “Jane” searching for the change of a lifetime. The “Jane” of the week will receive a head-to-toe style transformation, including a new wardrobe and confidence-building exercises.

From Sunday, June 13 through Saturday, June 19 at 9PM ET/PT, Discovery Channel’s 25TH ANNIVERSARY WEEK features a look back at the people, places and events that have shaped the network – and the world – over the past 25 years (including favorite moments chosen by Discovery family members including Mike Rowe and the MythBusters), as well as a look towards the future. The full programming schedule follows (all times ET/PT):

A couple of important ones by the actor, but not exactly a career overview. But here's what TCM says:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will dedicate its Tuesday, June 8, primetime and overnight lineup to celebrating the life and career of OscarÒ-nominated actor-director-screenwriter Dennis Hopper, who passed away May 29 at the age of 74. The night’s collection will feature his film debut in the memorable teen drama Rebel Without a Cause (1955), as well as his groundbreaking film Easy Rider (1969). The following is a complete schedule:

Tuesday, June 88 p.m. (ET) The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) – Dennis Hopper co-stars with John Wayne and Dean Martin in this rowdy Western about the sons of a frontier woman determined to learn why their mother died penniless.

WE tv, home of television's beloved series THE GOLDEN GIRLS, celebrates the life of adored actress Rue McClanahan, who passed today at the age of 76. The Emmy-winning actress was perhaps best known for her sassy role of Blanche Devereaux on the hit series. On Friday, June 4, from 5PM-1AM ET/PT, WE tv airs WE Remember Rue -- a marathon of our favorite GOLDEN GIRLS episodes centering on the lovable and feisty Blanche.

The first time I saw Gary Coleman on TV, he was appearing on "Fernwood 2-Night," the parody talk show (later known as "America 2-Night") with Northeast Ohio's own Martin Mull and Fred Willard. Coleman played a young man being adopted by Mull's character, Barth Gimble (spun out of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman"), a would-be Johnny Carson/Mike Douglas figure paired with the idiotic sidekick Jerry Hubbard (Willard). At one point, there was an attempt to launch a kiddie version of the talk show, with Coleman as the host and Corey Feldman playing his sidekick; they were hilarious, perfectly capturing the tone of their adult counterparts, especially Coleman, playing a kid mature way beyond his years. Coleman presented himself as someone well worth watching in the years ahead.

The actor/director/art collector, who passed away recently, certainly has a place in pop culture for his involvement in "Easy Rider." And he gave some fine performances here and there, with "Hoosiers" leaping first to mind. But let's not oversentimentalize him ...

I took a long holiday weekend, and the bride and I made a road trip back East to visit some of our offspring. So I have not been online much, even as the entertainment news has piled up. I will be doing some catch-up this week, as well as posting as some new things arise; I will also be doing my weekly video, but not until Wednesday.

Still, while we're talking, what are your thoughts about e-readers? I haven't bought the actual device but have downloaded the software for Kindle and Nook to my computer and acquired some reading matter that way. It's easy to download and, since a lot of what I have been looking for is old literature, the price is great -- free in many cases, or a dollar for some things.